Tough bite on JPP today
 

Went with a buddy to JPP for crappie. Hit a lot of brushpiles with bobbers and minnows and jigs. It was real slow going.
About 10:00 we gave up the jig action and went to trolling. We quit about 11:45 with 20 keepers. Probably caught half on jigs (minnows were useless) and half on cranks.

So what would make them not take live bait and instead go for artificials? Just seeing something different? A reaction strike vs. feeding?

I figure it's more of a reaction strike than a hunger bite. I normally troll at 1.6-1.8 MPH and I think they see it swim by and just instinctively grab it.

Crappie are one of the most finicky fish out there. Some days it is minnows...next jig..next cranks....and then they bite for 30 minutes and turn off for 4 hours. It gets frustrating as you know the are down there but they will bite on their time table and not ours...LOL



Regards

The only exception is the author of the quote above...he's the Chuck Norris of crappie fishing: when Alpha isn't catching crappie, it isn't because the crappie are being finicky, it's because they are fighting over who will be next to eat Alpha's Trout Magnet.


Chris

I tell you they can be hard to get....and Merv is getting them at the toughest time of the year.....not many target crappie in summer......they can be hard to find and then hard to catch....but he is doing both. I'm out trying to find trophy Gills but am not having much luck.


Regards